IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION TREATY IS DISCUSSED IN VILNIUS
On 9 February, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Rose Gottemoeller discussed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and its implementation.
The Vice-Minister stressed that Lithuania’s highest leaders had repeatedly in public and during the meetings with U.S. officials voiced support for this Treaty.At the meeting, R.Gottemoeller presented possible future steps towards nuclear disarmament. The interlocutors also discussed issues of the U.S. and NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy.
According to Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius, the START can provide the necessary momentum for transparency concerning Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons. R.Gottemoeller noted that the preparation for such a dialogue with Moscow regarding these weapons was underway.
The U.S. and Russian Presidents signed the START on 8 April 2010 in Prague. The Treaty stipulates that offensive weapons are to be reduced limiting each side to no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments Each side shall be allowed no more than 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. The countries must reduce their strategic forces to no more than 1,550 deployed warheads each on deployed ICBMs and deployed SLBMs, as well as counting each deployed heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments as carrying one warhead.
The U.S. Senate approved the Treaty on 22 December 2010, and the Russian State Duma ratified it on 2 February 2011.
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